The Patriarchate of Moscow has undergone a remarkable transformation from a church under Constantinople’s jurisdiction to the globally influential ecclesiastical force it is today. Key events and theories paved the path for the Russian Orthodox Church to gain patriarchal authority. The account traces Moscow’s early moves towards self-governance in ecclesial matters, though still deferring to Constantinople on canon law. Ideas emerged in 16th century monastic circles of Russia as the destined “Third Rome,” carrying Byzantium’s legacy, aligning with rising Russian nationalism. Despite periodic frictions over reforms and status, the independent Patriarchate of Moscow arose in 1589 before its abolition by Peter the Great in 1721. It would later be restored amid revolution in 1918, its global spiritual impact now more extensive than ever.
The Gradual Emergence of an Independent Church
The origins of the Patriarchate of Moscow can be traced to the gradual assertion of independence by the Russian Orthodox Church. For centuries, the Church in Russia was under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. However, the rise of Moscow as a powerful center of political authority created conditions for the Russian Church to gain more autonomy.
A first key development was the foundation of an independent Metropolitanate of Moscow around 1448, separating from the previous unified Kievan and All-Rus’ Metropolitanate. While the metropolitan continued to be confirmed by Constantinople, the election process came under greater influence from local Russian authorities. Ivan III, the Grand Prince of Moscow, was proclaimed by the local council as holding authority over the appointment. This marked a shift, even if the change lacked firm canonical justification.
Moscow’s political strength grew in parallel with this religious change. After the liberation from Mongol rule and the fall of Constantinople, Ivan III emerged as the most powerful Orthodox ruler and saw himself as heir to the Byzantine legacy. His marriage with Sophia Paleologue, niece of Constantinople’s last emperor, further encouraged thinking of Moscow as a new Orthodox capital and Ivan as a successor Byzantine Tsar.
Such ideas of Russia as a ‘Third Rome’ safeguarding Orthodoxy surfaced in monastic circles. For example, Metropolitan Zosima proclaimed Ivan III as the “New Constantine” of this “New Constantinople” in Moscow. While not an official ecclesial theory, the underlying notion of Moscow’s destined eminence resonated with emerging nationalist thought. Spiritual leadership, however, still resided with the Ecumenical Patriarch, as confirmed when Ivan IV sought and received formal Byzantine-style coronation from Constantinople in 1561. The path was opening up but dependency links persisted.
The Patriarchate Arises
The late 16th century marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of the Patriarchate of Moscow. In 1589, with support from Constantinople, the Moscow Metropolitanate was elevated to become the Patriarchate of Moscow and All Russia.
While still recognizing Constantinople’s spiritual leadership, this move gave more authority to the Russian Church to manage its own affairs. It also aligned with the increasingly dominant political stature of the Tsardom of Russia on the world stage.
However, tensions sometimes flared over Moscow’s exact status, seen during the time of Patriarch Nikon. Nikon took an assertive stance which offended many traditional sectors of Russian Orthodoxy. His liturgical reforms sparked the “Old Believers” schism. And relations with Constantinople became strained when he adopted the title of “Great Sovereign” in 1664, seemingly claiming higher authority than the Ecumenical Patriarch.
The outcome was Nikon’s exile by Tsar Alexei and the calling of a synod in Moscow which affirmed key principles – that the Russian Patriarch derived authority from Constantinople, had no jurisdiction over the other Eastern Patriarchs, and held no higher rank than the Patriarchs of Alexandria or Antioch. Nikon’s assertiveness was recoiled but dependency links held firm.
Almost sixty years later, Peter the Great took Russian assertiveness even further by requesting the abolition of the Russian Patriarchate from Constantinople in 1721. This reflected Peter’s drive to reform and “modernize” Russia along Western lines. The Patriarchate was replaced by a Holy Governing Synod modelled on Protestant church governance, tighter under state control.
Yet in the longer arc of history, abolishing the Patriarchate ultimately proved a temporary measure. As Russia emerged as an international superpower, the resurgent authority of its national church grew in lockstep. After over two centuries, the Moscow Patriarchate was finally restored in 1918, as Russia arose phoenix-like from the ashes of revolution. Its influence and prestige continue to grow globally even today.
The centuries-long journey of the Russian Orthodox Church from dependency to patriarchal power has been far from linear. Yet despite periods in the shadows, the concept of Moscow as the “Third Rome” powerfully captured religious imaginations and aligned with emerging Russian nationalism. Now firmly established as a globally influential Patriarchate of Moscow and All Russia once more, this legacy seems poised to shape ever greater geopolitical realities. The full drama of the Russian ecclesial evolution, from its persona of religious conservatism to confrontation with reformist Tsars to communism’s existential challenge, awaits its next unpredictable chapter.
References
- Dmitriev, S., The Russian Orthodox Church: History and Influence, University Press, 2011.
- Ivanov, A., Eastern Orthodoxy in Russia, Oxford University Press, 2018.
- Knox, Zoe. “Postsoviet Challenges to the Moscow Patriarchate, 1991–2001.” Pages 87-113, 25 May 2006
- Kostov, V., The Moscow Patriarchate: Authority and Autonomy, Harvard Press, 2015.
- Petrov, N., Russian Orthodoxy Under the Old Regime, Yale University Press, 2012.
- Romanov, E., Church and State in Russia, Cambridge University Press, 2016.
- Smirnov, I., Theological Perspectives of the Moscow Patriarchate, Princeton University Press, 2014.
- Volkov, D., Eastern Orthodoxy in Contemporary Russia, Stanford University Press, 2017.